Harness-pad.



H. LBIB'B.

HARNESS PAD.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 1, 1910.

1,006,960. y Patented 0t.24, 1911.

I COLUMBIA PLANDGRIAPH C..WASHINGTON. D. C.

HUG-O LEIBE, 0F HAMILTON, MARYLAND.

HARNESS-PAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Uct. 24, 1911.

Application filed July 1, 1910. Serial No. 569,877.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGO LEIBE, a citizen of the United States, residingat Hamilton, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Pads, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved pad for harness.

The invention consists in the construction of pads for harness ashereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing which illustrates the invention, Figure 1 shows a topplan view of a pad according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a view of thepad as it would rest on the back of a horse. Fig. 3 shows across-section view of the pad seen in Fig. 1 and also a cross-section ofan ordinary harness saddle in position on the pad. Fig. 4 is a top planview of apad made according to this invention, but showing a modifiedfeature. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the pad on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6-6.

The improved pad is made of water-proof fabric folded to form the twoside edges, a, and the front and back surfaces; this folding places thetwo edges, b, of the fabric on the upper side or front surface of thepad, where one or more longitudinal rows of stitches, b1, form a seam oroint; there is no seam however at the side edges, a. The front and backthicknesses of the waterproof fabric constitute one piece of fabric andare stitched together by longitudinal parallel rows of stitches, c,which form a plural number of tube-like chambers. These tube-likechambers are not of the same size diametrically; the tube-chambers, d,at each of the parallel sides of the pad are larger or have a greaterdiameter than the tubechambers, e, between them. The invention is notlimited to any particular number of tube chambers.

In Fig. 1 there are three intermediate or smaller tube chambers, e,between the two larger chambers, d.

The pad has a flat space, f, at the center which space is formed byparallel cross-rows of stitches, g, which latter close one endthat isthe center ends-of all the tube chambers. This center flat space, f, asseen in Fig. 2, consists of two thicknesses of the fabric which are incontact with each other and there is no stuffing, but in the nished padorder to put the coarsely ground cork in the i tube-chambers, the outerends of said chambers in the rst steps of manufacture are left open, andthe particles of cork are entered at said open ends and said particlesare rammed in the tubes by a suitable tool, which causes the tubechambers to swell and bulge. This ramming may be done manually, that isby a hand operation, but I prefer to do it by means of a machine. Afterall the tube-chambers have been filled with stuffing, their open outerends are closed by a row of stitches, It, extending crosswise of thepad.

The pad has two stuffed parts, I, I, or two series of tube chamberswhich are connected at the center by the thin flat fabric space, whichis unstuffed and flexible; when the pad is in use on the back of ananimal this flexible center space, f, has position over the back-boneand the two parts, I, I, of the pad incline downward on the animals backsomewhat as shown in Fig. 2. As the stuffing is rammed and thetube-chambers assume a puffed or bulged form between the rows ofstitches, c, the latter produce parallel channels, shown plainly inFigs. 3 and 6; these channels serve as air-spaces when the pad is on theanimals back.

From this description it will be understood that the two edges of thefabric that lap each other to form the seam or joint, b1. are on theuppermost side of the pad, and thus positioned the stitched joint, b1,is free of the friction and wear that may arise on the lower side wherethe ypad contacts with the back of the animal.

A strap, j, is secured crosswise of each end of the pad and has abuckle; this strap is to take around the ordinary harnesssaddle to keepthe pad in position thereunder.

The feature herein described, and shown in the drawing, of a pad havingtwo series of parallel tube-chambers suitably stuffed, and the twoseries connected by thin flat unstuffed fabric, f, and having thetube-chambers, d, at each side of the pad larger in diameter than theseveral tube-chambers, e, which are between said two side-chambers,produces on top of the pad at each side edge a high ridge and betweenthe said two high ridges a center portion that Vis low or depressedbelow said side ridges. This feature in the pad of a low center topenables an ordinary harness saddle, K, (see Fig. 3) to have its lowerstuffed part seated in the low center, while the high side sections,chambers, or ridges prevent the pad from slipping sidewise from underthe said harness-saddle.

rlhe pad shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 has the same features described inthe pad shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3; these features differ in the factthat in the first three figures there are five sections ortube-chambers,-

while in the last three figures there are six.

Fig. 4e of the drawing shows an additional feature; the larger sidetube-chambers, CZ, extend from the center flat space, f, in oppositedirections to the ends, but the intermediate tube-chambers, e, areshorter than the side tube chambers whereby at t-he center shallowrecesses, Z, are formed between the two sidechambers, CZ, and theshortened ends of the intermediate chambers, e. These shallow recesses,Z, are located so as to have position over the spots on an animals backwhich are usually the places that become galled or made sore. The highside ridges, CZ, keep these recesses, Z, from touching any sore spots atthis location. This form of pad is good for use while the sore back ofan animal is being healed.

Both surfaces of this pad,the front and back-are alike; all parts of thepad have the same density of stuffing and the same flexibility, and bothsurfaces of the pad are equally well adapted for contacting with ananimals back.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is,-

A harness pad comprising a thin Hat flexible central part, and twoseries of parallel tube-like chambers, the ends of the tubes of eachseries attached to opposite sides of said central part, the tube-likechambers extending away from said central part, and the tube-likechamber at each edge of the pad being longer than ythe tube-like chambers between them, whereby at the center there is formed a shallowrecess between the two longer edge chambers of each series nd theshorter intermediate tube-like cham- In testimony whereof I aiiiX mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

HUGO LEIBE.

Vitnesses:

JOHN W. Hnwns, G. FERDINAND Voc'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing-the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

